Marcus Visits the Colonies: A Wardrobe Edit (Part 3)

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DAY 3

Dress: Montique jacquard

Heels: Betts iridescent platforms

Clutch: Monsoon iridescent

Hinged Bangle: Wallace Bishop silver & elastic

Beaded Bracelets with Charms: Thomas Sabo

Ring: Autograph

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A sneak peek of a new ballet production that will be coming to Australian shores in its entirety in 2015 was on the cards for Day 3 of my English friend's Aussie sojourn. Long-time readers of the blog will already know that I am a passionate balletomane & it was nice to revel in this secret yet sublime performance with another friend who shares my enthusiasm. I can't divulge further details at this point, but as soon as the tickets go on sale, I will definitely give you all a "heads up" as it is NOT. TO. BE. MISSED!

www.balletshoessewingneedlescraftprojects.com 

As ballet is an art form that requires years of dedication & commitment, I feel it is only right to show respect for the talents of the (live) performers by regarding it as an occasion with a rather traditional dress code. As such, I decided on this jacquard print empire-line dress by Montique with low - yet still classy - "v" neckline & stunning origami skirt detail. I love the way the blue tones bring out my hazel eyes, which have a tendency to change colours depending on the hue that I am wearing:

To keep the dress youthful & daytime appropriate, trendy iridescent patent accessories were added in the form of a pair of sky-high peeptoe platforms & a matching clutch in the shape of a large lolly wrapper for a funky twist on formal wear. 

Statement jewellery finished the look - a thick, silver hinged bangle, black faceted bead bracelets with a myriad of charms & a chunky black faceted bead cocktail ring with diamantes for a touch of sparkle. See below for a special new elephant charm indicating an important trip to India that someone (whose name begins with an "M") is about to embark on...

All in all, it has been 3 days full of fun & laughter & although I'm sad that Marcus had to go back home - where it's cold, lucky thing! - hopefully he's enjoyed a little taste of summertime in the River City... 

Marcus Visits the Colonies: A Wardrobe Edit (Part 2)

From the day we arrive on the planet

And blinking, step into the sun

There's more to see than can ever be seen

More to do than can ever be done

There's far too much to take in here

More to find than can ever be found

But the sun rolling high through the sapphire sky

Keep great and small on the endless round

It's the circle of life

And it moves us all

Through despair & hope

Through faith & love

Til we find our place

On the path unwinding

In the circle, the circle of life

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DAY 2

Dress: Liz Jordan elastane

Heels: Novo suede & glitter

Clutch: Adorne suede

Bangle: Autograph chrome

Hinged Bangle: Wallace Bishop silver & elastic

Ring: Lovisa silver & faux pearl

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Enjoying a performance of The Lion King Musical was the name of the game for Day 2. For me, it was more of a celebration of the music by Elton John & Tim Rice than a live-action recreation of the 1994 Disney animated film. Could I "feel the love" for the production? Of course I could - it was simply stunning, from the puppetry & special effects to the uniquely stylised costumes to the professional singing talents of the entire cast!

www.broadwayworld.com

www.monmary.com

With a safari theme in mind, I decided on a Liz Jordan silver leopard print dress in comfortable elastane, matched with a pair of pewter suede & silver glitter peeptoe platform heels that Marcus quickly dubbed my "Cinderella" shoes & a pewter suede box clutch.

As for the jewellery, mixed metals were the way to go for a visually interesting result: a chunky, woven chrome bangle on one forearm, a silver hinged bangle on the other & a faux pearl cocktail ring for a juxtaposition of textures. 

Stayed tuned for the FINAL installment of Marcus' adventures in the colonies... 

Coming soon!

Marcus Visits the Colonies: A Wardrobe Edit

With my friend Marcus visiting from York-via-London-via-Melbourne, it's been a busy few days of stage plays, indoor ice skating, ballet performances, dining out, sightseeing & inadvertent storm-chasing in the River City... It was so great to see my friend from the "Mother Country" again & the perfect opportunity to bust out some of my most favourite dresses. 

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DAY 1: PART 1

Dress: Monsoon taffeta & embroidery

Heels: Novo patent

Clutch: Monsoon taffeta & embroidery

Cuff: Amaryllis Boutique silver & diamante

Bracelet: Silversmith silver & assorted charms

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Day 1 revolved around a front-row seat at a stage play version of The Velveteen Rabbit (or How Toys Become Real), based on the 1922 children's book by Margery Williams. Avid readers of this blog would already know about my deep & abiding love for the classic tale - which has never been out of print in almost 100 years - about a velveteen rabbit toy & his quest to become real through the love of his owner... And I have to say, after this treatise on the transformative power of love was over, there wasn't a dry eye in the house...

www.arandadill.deviantart.com

Such a special experience required a special dress & this Monsoon pansy print taffeta shift dress - purchased at the Oxford Street store & carried around Europe in my suitcase - fit the bill, with its rich taffeta fabric, slimming black front panel, hand-painted floral side details & embroidered & beaded neckline to really make the print "pop." 

One of the most amazing parts of the outfit is the matching clutch bag with 3D pansy decals on the front, enhanced by little diamantes in their centres. See below for a close-up:

Silver jewellery was chosen to capture the shine from the diamantes on the clutch, particularly in the large swirl cuff with its own diamante accents & my beloved charm bracelet that began as a gift for my 21st birthday & is now (almost) completely full. What I love about the old-fashioned kind of charm bracelets are the tiny, perfectly formed versions of everyday items that remind of you of someone or something in your life at the time. My charm bracelet is full of fairies, angels, tea cups, tea pots, cuckoo clocks, glasses, bells, rabbits - even a Coca Cola bottle - that remind me of people in my life who care about me & who I care dearly about.

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DAY 1: PART 2

Dress: Jacqui E elastane & velvet burnout

Heels: Novo patent

Clutch: Monsoon taffeta & embroidery

Cuff: Amaryllis Boutique silver & diamante

Bracelet: Silversmith silver & assorted charms

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After the play concluded, it was time for quick costume change before heading to an indoor ice skating rink to capture a whimsical wisp of Winter Wonderland, usually enjoyed by those in the Northern Hemisphere at Christmastime. 

www.acottageindustry.typepad.com

It can be difficult to find a winter dress that can work with summer accessories, but this Jacqui E floral burnout smock doesn't look out of place with the jewellery from earlier & the Monsoon clutch bag as both a "pop" of colour & mix of pattern against the velvet.

Unfortunately no shots of me ACTUALLY ice skating, as I was too busy ensuring that I stayed upright & didn't break any limbs (I promised my mother!) but here are a couple of me spinning around in the dress with the floaty bodice panel swinging, so you can get an idea of why it was chosen:

www.acottageindustry.typepad.com

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Stay tuned for more of Marcus' adventures in the colonies... Part 2 coming soon!

I've Got Mail

So pleased to receive this little beauty in the mail today, all wrapped up in vintage pattern paper. Stay tuned to the blog to see how I style it up in the (very) near future...

Visions of Sugar Plums

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Dress: Montique brocade & taffeta

Bolero: Montique taffeta

Heels: Novo patent

Clutch: Pretty Girl

Necklace: Adorne chrome & diamante

Bangles: Autograph chrome

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Delighted to attend a "sneak peek" of the annual ballet production of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, adapted from E.T.A Hoffman's The Nutcracker & The Mouse King & first performed in St Petersburg in 1892. 

For balletomanes such as myself, it just wouldn't be Christmas without revisiting the endearing story of Clara & the wonderful Nutcracker toy, given to her by Godfather Drosselmeyer, the Toymaker. After bravely defeating the Mouse King & his army who have come to life along with the rest of the Stahlbaum's Christmas decorations, the Nutcracker toy transforms into the human Nutcracker Prince & transports the dreaming Clara to The Land of Sweets, where they are lauded as heroes at a lavish festival at the Candy Castle, thrown by the Sugar Plum Fairy. And then the dancing begins.... leading Clara to proclaim that she wishes the adventure would never end. The Nutcracker Prince tells her that it never will for those with eyes to see it... & she wakes up on Christmas morning underneath the tree with the Nutcracker toy still in her arms...

www.thenutcracker.com

Such a special tradition required a special outfit & this floral brocade & taffeta option from Montique fit the bill. And what's more, it has a matching cropped bolero, which was perfect in the air-conditioning induced temperature change. 

Black patent accessories were once again the order of the day with a pair of platform sandals & clutch with painted image of Audrey Hepburn portraying Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's. See below for a close-up:

The square neckline of the dress was just begging for a chunky necklace & I was happy to oblige with this stunning chrome number from Adorne, embellished with black & silver diamantes in the shape of a flower. Choosing such a statement piece meant that little further jewellery was required, merely a thick, woven chrome bangle on each forearm.